3 Most Effective Training Splits: Sets, Reps, Rest & Exercises
Training splits organize workouts by dividing exercises based on muscles or movement patterns, with push pull legs, posterior-anterior chain, and hybrid push-pull proving most effective. Each training split balances muscle stimulus and recovery for growth or strength, being optimal for specific training frequency.
Training Split
Training splits refer to a strategic training structure dividing a workout based on muscles or movement patterns for greater efficiency. Such positioning allows sufficient stimulus and recovery for the desired outcome, whether muscle growth, gaining strength, or general physical preparation. Push pull legs, hybrid training, and full body stand out as the most popular methods.
Push Pull Legs (PPL)
The Push Pull Legs split is a highly effective training that splits the body into three parts: pushing muscles, pulling muscles, and leg muscles. It is one of the most effective all-around methods, particularly after full body training and GPP have been finished.
By focusing on a specific movement and muscle group, like the pull motion activating back muscles, it increases the muscle stimulus compared to full body. This approach typically follows a three-day cycle:
- Push Day: Focuses on pushing movements, targeting chest, shoulders, and triceps.
- Pull Day: Emphasizes pulling exercises, engaging back, biceps, and forearms.
- Legs Day: Concentrates on lower body workouts, targeting quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
The PPL split is particularly beneficial for intermediate to advanced trainees seeking to optimize muscle group recovery while allowing for higher training frequency. It enables targeted muscle group training with adequate recovery time between sessions, promoting muscle growth and strength gains.
However, the PPL method may undermine lower body training relative to upper body work. Many individuals find it challenging to perform both deadlifts and squats effectively in a single session, potentially leading to deficits in lower body development. Not absolute deficits, as one can still maintain sufficient muscle strength even with one training for the lower body per week, but relative deficits, comparing the lower to upper body as the volume skews toward the upper body.
| Push Day | Pull Day | Legs Day |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bench Press 4×8-10 | 1. Pull-ups 4×8-10 | 1. Squats 4×8-10 |
| 2. Overhead Press 3×8-12 | 2. Horizontal Row 3×8-12 | 2. Romanian Deadlifts 3×8-12 |
| 3. Incline Dumbbell Press 3×10-12 | 3. Face Pulls 3×12-15 | 3. SL Leg Press 3×10-12 |
| 4. Tricep Pushdowns 3×12-15 | 4. Bicep Curls 3×12-15 | 4. Calf Raises 4×15-20 |
| Advanced Push Day | Advanced Pull Day | Advanced Legs Day |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Incline Bench Press 5×5 | 1. Weighted Pull-ups 5×5 | 1. Front Squats 5×5 |
| 2. Standing Military Press 4×6-8 | 2. Pendlay Rows 4×6-8 | 2. Single Leg Deadlifts 4×6-8 |
| 3. Dips 3×8-12 | 3. T-Bar Rows 3×8-12 | 3. Split Squats 3×8-12 |
| 4. Lateral Raises 3×12-15 | 4. Hammer Curls 3×12-15 | 4. Hip Thrusts 3×12-15 |
| 5. Tricep Overhead Extensions 3×12-15 | 5. Single-Arm Rows 3×12-15 | 5. Standing Calf Raises 4×15-20 |
Posterior and Anterior Chain (PAC)
This split divides training the body into two parts, back and front. This makes sense from both anatomical and biomechanical perspectives, taking movement patterns into account.
Pulling motions are training the posterior chain, engaging muscles on the back. Considering that pull for legs is the deadlift, all hip-hinge dominant movements that train the glutes and hamstrings become pull for the legs, including hip thrusts, knee flexion, and SL deadlift.
Pushing motions are training the anterior chain, engaging muscles on the front. Considering that push for the legs is the squat, all knee-dominant movements that target the quadriceps become push for the legs, including knee extensions, split squats, or lunges.
- Posterior Chain: Targets muscles on the back of the body, including hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae, and upper back muscles.
- Anterior Chain: Focuses on muscles on the front of the body, such as quadriceps, chest, and abdominals.
Such division increases efficiency due to the interconnected nature of movement patterns, meaning a sequence of similar movements that target similar muscles will more effectively stimulate the muscle and be executed correctly, relative to hybrid push pull, which divides the body diagonally.
This approach is particularly beneficial for individuals training twice weekly and can be advantageous in sports-specific training that integrates both upper and lower body movements. For example, exercises like lunges combined with landmine presses work the anterior chain, while hip extension with pulling exercises target the posterior chain.
One potential drawback of this split is that grip strength can become a limiting factor when training the posterior chain, as most people struggle to perform heavy deadlifts and rows in the same session.
| Posterior Chain Day | Anterior Chain Day |
|---|---|
| 1. Romanian Deadlifts 4×8-10 | 1. Squats 4×8-10 |
| 2. Hip Thrusts 3×10-12 | 2. Bench Press 3×8-12 |
| 3. Lat Pulldowns 3×10-12 | 3. Lunges 3×10-12 per leg |
| 4. Face Pulls 3×12-15 | 4. Incline Dumbbell Press 3×10-12 |
| 5. Hamstring Curls 3×12-15 | 5. Leg Extensions 3×12-15 |
| Advanced Posterior Chain Day | Advanced Anterior Chain Day |
|---|---|
| 1. Deadlifts 5×5 | 1. Front Squats 5×5 |
| 2. Single Leg Deadlifts 4×8-10 | 2. Incline Bench Press 4×6-8 |
| 3. Weighted Pull-ups 4×6-8 | 3. Walking Lunges 3×20 steps |
| 4. Seated Rows 3×8-12 | 4. Overhead Press 3×8-12 |
| 5. Glute-Ham Raises 3×10-12 | 5. Cable Crunches 3×12-15 |
Full Body
Full body training involves exercises that target all major muscle groups in a single session, typically incorporating compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This approach is highly efficient for beginners, individuals with limited training time, or those seeking to maintain overall fitness.
While the metabolic effect is relatively high, and one can execute exercises that target other non-fatigued muscles effectively, the stimulus just isn’t sufficient for most people. This makes it not ideal for those who train frequently (more than twice weekly) or aim to build significant muscle mass. It often doesn’t provide the necessary stimulus to specific muscles for growth, as most people can effectively execute only 3-6 exercises per session.
Training for maximal strength, which comes after GPP and hypertrophy training can include full body workouts. Typically, this type of training revolves around compound movements with heavy loads, so mixing the squat, bench press, and deadlifts in one session can make sense.
However, most trainees tend to associate full body training (or split) as a functional workout for maintaining fitness, with 4-8 exercises per training, not a tool to gain maximal strength.
| Basic Full Body Workout | Advanced Full Body Workout |
|---|---|
| 1. Squats 3×8-10 | 1. Barbell Back Squats 4×6-8 |
| 2. Bench Press 3×8-10 | 2. Weighted Pull-ups 4×6-8 |
| 3. Single-Arm Rows 3×8-10 | 3. Incline Bench Press 3×8-10 |
| 4. Overhead Press 3×8-10 | 4. Romanian Deadlifts 3×8-10 |
| 5. Plank 3×30-60 seconds | 5. Overhead Press 3×8-10 |
| 6. Anti-Rotation 3×8-10 | 6. Dead Bugs 3×10-12 |
Hybrid Push-Pull
Most confuse hybrid splits as training for both muscle strength and cardio in the same session. That is hybrid training, or training for hybrid athletes, not a hybrid split. A hybrid split typically splits the body diagonally, as opposed to front and back split for the PAC split.
This means the front part of upper body (chest) is trained with the posterior part of lower body (glutes), and vice versa. The front part of the lower body (quads) is trained with the posterior part of the upper body (back).
- Hybrid Push Day: Combines upper body push exercises (chest, shoulders) with lower body pull exercises (calves, hamstrings, and glutes).
- Hybrid Pull Day: Incorporates upper body pull exercises (back muscles, posterior delts) with lower body push exercises (quadriceps).
This split offers simplicity in training while addressing the grip strength limitations of the Posterior and Anterior Chain (PAC) split. It’s advantageous for people training 2-4 times per week, providing sufficient volume and muscle stimulus for both hypertrophy and strength.
While the Hybrid Push-Pull split may offer less total stimulus per specific muscle group compared to PPL or single muscle group training, it provides greater time efficiency. It allows one to stimulate all muscles while training the main movement patterns in two trainings only.
| Hybrid Push Day | Hybrid Pull Day |
|---|---|
| 1. Bench Press 4×8-10 | 1. Barbell Rows 4×8-10 |
| 2. Overhead Press 3×8-12 | 2. Pull-ups 3×8-12 |
| 3. Deadlifts 3×6-8 | 3. Squats 3×8-10 |
| 4. Tricep Pushdowns 3×12-15 | 4. Lunges 3×10-12 per leg |
| 5. Calf Raises 4×15-20 | 5. Face Pulls 3×12-15 |
| Advanced Hybrid Push Day | Advanced Hybrid Pull Day |
|---|---|
| 1. Incline Bench Press 5×5 | 1. Weighted Pull-ups 5×5 |
| 2. Romanian Deadlifts 4×8-10 | 2. Single-Arm Rows 4×6-8 |
| 3. Overhead Press 3×8-12 | 3. Front Squats 4×8-10 |
| 4. Single Leg Deadlift 4×6-8 | 4. Bulgarian Split Squats 3×8-12 per leg |
| 5. Glute-Ham Raises 3×10-12 | 5. Reverse Flyes 3×12-15 |
| 6. Standing Calf Raises 4×15-20 | 6. Hammer Curls 3×12-15 |
Best Training Split for Specific Goals
It’s important to note that for inexperienced lifters (those with less than two years of consistent gym experience), the specific training method may not be as crucial. Significant progress can be achieved through simple progressive overload, regardless of the chosen split.
Typically, based on desired goals the best training methods include:
- For general physical preparation (GPP) → Full Body Training (2-3x weekly)
- For time-effective hypertrophy → Posterior and Anterior Chain (PAC) or Hybrid Push-Pull (4x weekly)
- For maximal hypertrophy → Push Pull Legs (6x weekly)
- For maximal strength → 3×5, 5×5 method with only 3 compound exercises (2x weekly, load >80% RM)
- For maintaining strength, muscle, and training efficiently → any of the above, but mostly PAC and Hybrid Push Pull
Table Overview of Training Splits
| Training Split | Training 1 | Training 2 | Training 3 | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Push Pull Legs (PPL) | Push: Bench press, overhead press, Triceps Extension | Pull: Pull-ups, rows, face-pulls | Legs: Squats, deadlifts, Lunges | Optimizes recovery; Good for intermediate/advanced trainees; Allows targeted muscle training | Undermines lower body training; Difficult to perform deadlifts and squats in one session effectively |
| Posterior & Anterior Chain | Posterior: Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts, lat pulldowns | Anterior: Squats, bench press, lunges | N/A | Logical approach for 2x weekly training; Good for sports-specific training; Simplifies training structure | Grip strength becomes limiting factor when training posterior chain |
| Full Body | Squats, bench press, rows, overhead press, planks | SL Deadlift, Lunges, Overhead Press, Single hand Rowing, Hip extensions | Same (with variations) | Efficient for beginners; Good for limited training time; Maintains overall fitness | Not ideal for frequent training (>2x weekly); Limited muscle-specific stimulus; Restricted by exercise capacity (3-6 per session) |
| Hybrid Push-Pull | Push: Bench press, overhead press, deadlifts | Pull: Rowing, face pulls, squats, lunges | N/A | Avoids grip strength limitations; Suitable for 2-4 sessions weekly; Good for hypertrophy and strength; Simple structure | Less specific muscle stimulus compared to PPL; Compromises between specialization and efficiency |
In conclusion, each training split offers unique advantages and potential drawbacks. The key is to select a split that aligns with your goals, schedule, and experience level, while consistently applying progressive overload principles to drive continuous improvement.
What is the most effective workout split?
There is no single “most effective” workout split for everyone. The best training split depends on your specific goals:
- For general physical preparation (GPP): Full Body Training (2-3x weekly)
- For time-effective hypertrophy: Posterior and Anterior Chain (PAC) or Hybrid Push-Pull (4x weekly)
- For maximal hypertrophy: Push Pull Legs (6x weekly)
- For maximal strength: 3×5, 5×5 method with only 3 compound exercises (2x weekly, load >80% RM)
- For maintaining strength and muscle efficiently: PAC and Hybrid Push-Pull
How should I structure my sets and reps?
The article shows various structures in the workout examples, but generally
- Compound movements: 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps
- Isolation exercises: 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps
- For hypertrophy: 8-12 rep range is common
- For strength: 5-8 rep range is common
- For endurance: 12-20 rep range (seen in calf raises)
Is 4 sets of 10 reps enough?
Yes. Particularly for hypertrophy, typically compound exercises are done in 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps.
What’s a good workout schedule?
A good workout schedule depends on your goals
- GPP: 2-3 full-body sessions per week
- Time-effective hypertrophy: 4 sessions per week using PAC or Hybrid Push-Pull
- Maximal hypertrophy: 6 sessions per week using PPL
- Maximal strength: 2 sessions per week with heavy compound lifts
- Maintenance: 2-4 sessions per week using PAC or Hybrid Push-Pull
Is a 4-day split effective?
Yes, a 4-day split using either the Posterior and Anterior Chain (PAC) or Hybrid Push-Pull methods is effective for time-efficient hypertrophy. This allows sufficient volume and frequency while balancing recovery needs.
For example, the PAC method would train
– posterior chain muscles like glutes, hamstrings and back for 2x weekly
– anterior chain muscles like chest, triceps and quads for 2x weekly
Are push pull workouts effective?
Yes, push-pull workouts are effective.
They distribute training in a way that focuses solely on either push muscles, or pull muscles, activating complementary muscles in a logical sequence.
Per example, when doing a push workout the main exercise is bench press. This also activates the triceps and front shoulders, which makes it logical to train those muscles as well, and have additional (sufficient) stimulus to the same muscle.
What is hybrid push pull?
Hybrid Push-Pull split divides the body diagonally
- Hybrid Push Day: Combines upper body push (chest, shoulders) with lower body pull (hamstrings, glutes)
- Hybrid Pull Day: Combines upper body pull (back, posterior delts) with lower body push (quadriceps)
This differs from hybrid training (training for both strength and cardio) and provides an efficient way to train all major muscles in just two workouts.
How many days should I train per week?
Different training frequencies based on goals
- 2-3 days: Full Body Training for GPP (general physical preparation)
- 4 days: PAC or Hybrid Push-Pull for time-efficient hypertrophy
- 6 days: Push Pull Legs for maximal hypertrophy
- 2 days: Heavy compound lifts for maximal strength
How many reps and sets for muscle growth?
Based on the workout examples, for muscle growth (hypertrophy)
- Main compound exercises: 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps
- Isolation exercises: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
What’s most important for muscle growth is calorie surplus (200-500 kcal), consistent progressive overload (~5% weekly), and higher training volume (10-20 sets per muscle weekly).
